Anti-glare sunshade

ABSTRACT

A anti-glare sunshade composed of a foldable flat blank and having top, bottom and side walls shaped to conform to the face and head of a wearer, the walls extending outwardly to shade the wearer&#39;&#39;s eyes against direct or reflected sun light. The inside surfaces of the sunshade are non-reflective.

United States Patent 1 Morris, Jr.

[ Jan. 16,1973

[54] ANTI-CLARE SUNSHADE [75] Inventor: Gerald 1-]. Morris, Jr., Lithonia, Ga.

[73] Assignees: Larry D. Hutton; Paul W. Schlotterbeck, Newport Beach, Calif.

22 Filed: Aug. 6, 1970 21 Appl.No.: 61,755

[52] US. Cl ..2/l2 [51] Int. Cl. ..A6lf 9/00 [58] Field of Search ..2/12, 13,15, 9,14 H, 14 J [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,728,078 12/1955 Taylor ..2/14 J 2,545,078 3/1951 Gardner... .....2/l4 J X 2,629,869 3/1953 Locken ..2/12

3,271,778 9/1966 Ferguson 2/12 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,036,013 4/1953 France ..2/l2

426,811 11/1947 Italy 368,739 3/1932 Great Britain 2/12 Primary ExaminerH. Hampton Hunter Attorney-Newton H. Lee, Jr.

57 ABSTRACT A anti-glare sunshade composed of a foldable flat blank and having top, bottom and side walls shaped to conform to the face and head of a wearer, the walls extending outwardly to shade the wearers eyes against direct or reflected sun light. The inside surfaces of the sunshade are non-reflective.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAMB ms 3.710.392

NON REFLECTIVE a M I '5 INVENTOR. GZ'RAZD H, MORRIS, JR.

AN TI-GLARE SUNSHADE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In many circumstances spectators or participants in outdoor activities and sports are subjected to dangerous and uncomfortable sun rays, against which the usual cap and/or sunglasses are not effective to protect the wearers eyes. In addition, unexpected participation or attendance at such activities or sports events may occur when the usual protective glasses or caps are not immediately available.

For examples, fishermen, spectators at winter sports events where snow is on the ground, as well as spectors at other events where direct or reflected sun rays pose problems may be poorly equipped or unequipped to protect their eyes against the harmful and uncomfortable affects of a number of hours of exposure. More over, the angle of the direct sun rays and reflected rays is often such that the usual cap and/or glasses will not protect a wearers eyes to best advantage against direct rays and perhaps not at all against reflected rays. While the bill of a cap may afford good protection against direct rays from above, the bill offers no protection against reflected rays from the water, snow, playing field, roadway, or other reflective surfaces. Protection afforded by the usual sunglasses is primarily limited to a region directly in front of the eyes of a wearer. Neither the usual cap nor the usual sunglasses afford protection against rays at the side of the wearer.

Accordingly, there has long been a need for an effective sunshade of the anti-glare type which not only protects a wearers eyes from direct rays, but also protects a wearers eyes against reflected rays, from all directions.

Moreover, there has been a need for an effective sunshade which can be provided relatively inexpensively at sports or other events where spectators gather either with no protective devices or with protective devices that are not effective to fully protect a wearer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an improved sunshade which is so constructed as to protect the eyes of the wearer against direct or indirect exposure to sun rays.

In accomplishing this objective, the invention provides a sunshade having an upper, bill portion adapted to conform to the forehead of the wearer and to protect the wearers eyes against sun rays from above, the sunshade also having a lower portion, spaced downwardly from the bill portion and adapted to conform to the wearers face below the eyes to protect the eyes against reflected sun rays, the bill and lower portions being connected by side portions adapted to prothe need arises, but otherwise being adapted to be stored and shipped in a flat condition.

The configuration of the eyeshades and the facility to produce the same from a foldable blank renders the eyeshades ideally suited for use as an advertising or promotional device, by printing desired material on the blank, by providing the blank as a portion of a package, or otherwise. Since the blanks may be conveniently stored and carried in substantial number in a small space, the eyeshades may be easily dispensed or sold to spectators at sports events or to participants in certain sports activities. For example, concessions at ball games and winter sports events, would be logical sources of the eyeshades, whereby the spectators eyes may be protected against the harmful and uncomfortable effects of direct and reflected sun rays. By way of further example, public fishing boats may maintain a quantity of the eyeshades for use by fishermen to protect their eyes. Other practical uses of the eyeshades will be apparent.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other purposes which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of a form in which it may be embodied. This form is shown in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. It will now be described in detail, for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that such detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective of an eyeshade made in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a foldable, flat blank for forming the eyeshade of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As seen in the drawing, the eyeshades of the invention comprise, when formed, a top wall 1, a bottom wall 2 and side walls 3, 4 interconnecting the top and bottom walls.

tect the wearer's eyes against sun rays at the sides of the More particularly, the top wall 1 is shaped like the bill of a cap and has an arched inner edge 5 adapted to confonn to the forehead of a wearer above the eyes. The bill portion or upper wall 1 projects outwardly from the inner edge 5 a sufficient distance to an outer edge 6 to provide substantial shade from direct sun rays from above the wearer. The lower wall 2 is spaced below the top wall 1 a sufficient distance as to be located below the eyes of the wearer. At its inner edge 7, the lower wall 2 has a central indentation 8 to accommodate the wearers nose, and laterally of the indentation 8, the edge 7 is arched as at 9 and 10 to substantially conform to the left and right portions, respectively, of the wearers face between the nose and the temples. The bottom wall 2 projects horizontally when worn a sufficient distance to substantially protect the wearers eyes from sun rays reflected upwardly. The

side walls 3 and 4 extend vertically between the top and bottom walls 3 and 4 and interconnect the latter. In

order to allow a desired range of lateral vision, the outer edges 11 and 12 of the respective side walls 3 and 4 may be suitably arched or indented. In addition, the inner edges 13 and 14 of the respective side walls 3 and 4 are preferably outwardly inclined so as to not cover a wearers ears. Thus, the side walls 3 and 4 protect the wearers eyes from sun rays at the side of the wearer.

Suitable means are provided for retaining the eyeshades on the wearers head. One such means, as shown, may comprise an elastic band 15, the ends of which extend through perforations l6 and 17 in the respective side walls 3 and 4. The band ends may be secured by suitable clamps 18 and 19.

In order to enhance the anti-glare characteristics of the sunshades, the sunshades are preferably either composed of material having a non-reflective characteristic, or a non-reflective coating may be applied to the inner surfaces of the top, bottom and side walls, whereby rays entering the open front of the sunshades, either directly or indirectly, will not be reflected into the wearers eyes.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the foldable, flat blank of the invention will be seen to comprise all of the wall portions, including the top and bottom walls 1 and 2 and the side walls 3 and 4, having the edge contours previously described. Such a blank may be cut from a flat sheet by a suitable die, so that the blanks may be mass produced on an inexpensive basis.

To facilitate forming the eyeshades from the blank, it is scored or marked to assist in folding or bending the blank to the finished shape. Thus, the juncture between the top wall 1 and the side walls 3 and 4 are delineated by scores or markings la and lb, and the juncture between the bottom wall 2 and the side wall 3 is delineated by a score or marking 3a. The connection between the side wall 4 and to bottom wall 2 is provided by a tap 4a on the free edge of the side wall 4, and a score or marking 4b delineates the juncture between the tab 4a and the side wall 4. Therefore, when the tab 4a is turned inwardly, as seen in FIG. 1, it is adapted to be attached to the free edge of the bottom wall 2, as by suitable adhesive 4c on the tab 4a, or by other suitable fastening means. It will be apparent that the connection of the free ends of the blank may be provided at any juncture of adjacent walls.

The scores or markings 1a, 1b, 3a and 4b, in the preferred form, are convergent in the direction of the front of the eyeshades, thereby minimizing the opening through which rays in the plane of the line of sight may directly reach the wearers eyes. However, the space between the top and bottom walls 1 and 2 at the rear of the sunshades is preferably sufficient to accommodate the usual sunglasses, if desired.

Decoration of the blank and application of advertising material by printing on the blank may be inexpensively accomplished. Likewise, with the blank in flat form, it may have the non-reflective coating easily and inexpensively applied.

From the foregoing, it will now be apparent that the present invention provides a novel, inexpensive sunshade device which is useful to substantially protect a wearers eyes from harmful and uncomfortable exposure to both direct and indirect sun rays and glare.

lclaim:

l. A foldable blank for forming an eyeshade assembly, comprising: a bill portion having an. arched inner edge for conforming to the head of a wearer above the eyes, a bottom wall portion havmg an inner edge for conforming to the face of a wearer below the eyes, a side wall portion between adjacent ends of said bill portion and said bottom wall, another side wall at the other end of said bill portion, and said another side wall and the other end of said bottom wall having free ends providing means connectable together to hold said blank in assembled relation including a tab on one of said free ends, said blank having fold lines between both of said side wall portions and said bill portion converging toward said arched edge of said bill portion and additional correspondingly converging fold lines between said bottom portion and the first-mentioned side wall portion and between said tab and said one of said free ends.

2. A foldable blank as defined in claim 1, wherein the surfaces of said bill portion, said bottom wall, and said side walls which are opposed upon assembly of the sunshade include means whereby said surfaces are nonreflective. 

1. A foldable blank for forming an eyeshade assembly, comprising: a bill portion having an arched inner edge for conforming to the head of a wearer above the eyes, a bottom wall portion having an inner edge for conforming to the face of a wearer below the eyes, a side wall portion between adjacent ends of said bill portion and said bottom wall, another side wall at the other end of said bill portion, and said another side wall and the other end of said bottom wall having free ends providing means connectable together to hold said blank in assembled relation including a tab on one of said free ends, said blank having fold lines between both of said side wall portions and said bill portion converging toward said arched edge of said bill portion and additional correspondingly converging fold lines between said bottom portion and the first-mentioned side wall portion and between said tab and said one of said free ends.
 2. A foldable blank as defined in claim 1, wherein the surfaces of said bill portion, said bottom wall, and said side walls which are opposed upon assembly of the sunshade include means whereby said surfaces are non-reflective. 